The Green Bay Packers had an opportunity to shake up their team at the end of last season. But after keeping head coach Matt LaFleur and most of his offensive assistants, the Packers’ best odds for a new look will have to come from changes to the roster. Many players who played a key role in Green Bay’s season could be sweating out the next few weeks as they learn whether they’ll return, but no player could be more nervous than edge rusher Rashan Gary.
Gary’s season looks fine on the surface as he posted similar numbers (45 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks) to his Pro Bowl season in 2024 (47 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks). But a disappearing act that saw him fail to record a tackle for loss in the final 10 games and raised questions about his effort has many questioning his future.
The Packers can save $10.9 million by cutting Gary before June 1. But the question with any player on the bubble is what the team is going to do to replace him. Fortunately, Green Bay has several options, and it could lead to Gary being sent out of town.
Packers Have Several Solutions If Rashan Gary Gets Cut This Offseason
The Packers’ front seven was a catalyst for their success last season. The addition of Micah Parsons was like adding a nuclear warhead to a group that was in the top 10 in total defense and scoring defense in 2024, and Gary was another piece to the puzzle before his late-season swoon. While the Packers are expected to lose Kingsley Engabare in free agency, they have plenty of options who either stepped up as Gary tailed off or are on the rise heading into 2026.
The most logical replacement is Lukas Van Ness. A first-round pick in the 2023 draft, Van Ness’s production was halted by a lingering foot injury. But he still had his best season as a pro, logging career-highs with a 75.7 overall grade and 27 pressures according to Pro Football Focus.
While Van Ness could replace Gary in theory, it would also have to be a shift in how he was utilized. Van Ness played 72.3% of his pass-rushing snaps on the right side of the defense last season and was more effective in that role, logging a 17.5% pressure rate on the right compared to a 10.8% pressure rate on the left. While Parsons could play anywhere to offset that, Van Ness appears to be a static, situational pass-rusher, which would require the Packers to go deeper down the depth chart.
Bringing back Brenton Cox is an option on a cheap free-agent deal. But his tenure with the Packers has been littered with injuries outside of his 2024 performance, where he racked up four sacks and 18 quarterback pressures on 112 pass-rushing snaps.
After playing just five defensive snaps last season, the Packers could decide Cox isn’t worth the risk, and it could lead them to trust their youth, including Colin Oliver and Barryn Sorrell. Neither player put up massive numbers in their rookie season, however, Sorrell logged seven pressures on 131 pass-rushing snaps, and Oliver appeared in just one game due to a hamstring injury. While Oliver’s teammates have dubbed him “Baby Micah” due to his upside, it would be a massive leap to expect him to take a starting role, which could lead them to make an addition if Gary leaves.
The good news is, the Packers should have their starting jobs sorted out if Parsons and Van Ness are the top pass-rushers. In this scenario, Green Bay would be searching for depth, and it could help them bring Engabare back or a similar player such as A.J. Epenesa of the Buffalo Bills, Al-Quadin Muhammad of the Detroit Lions, or Charles Omenihu of the Kansas City Chiefs.
If the Packers would rather spend their money elsewhere, this could also be addressed in April’s draft. Green Bay won’t be on the clock until the 52nd overall pick. TheNFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus board has plenty of edge prospects around that pick, including Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs (No. 54), L.T. Overton (No. 56), and Illinois’s Gabe Jacas (No. 62).
While Gary didn’t do a lot in the second half of last season, it may take a committee to replace him. That could be why general manager Brian Gutekunst hinted he could be back during his end-of-season press conference, but that also could have been to stir up interest for a trade. With Gary’s future uncertain, the Packers must have a contingency plan, and there are several options to consider as they head into the offseason.